Bad Apples
by Lowridah20
Summary: Bella lives in Chicago and is trying to become a doctor. One night she meets a mysterious stranger and they share a kiss. Find out what happens when she meets him again months later in her hospital after he's in a car accident. Will sparks fly again for the young doctor? All human. My first go at fanfiction so R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! This is my first fanfic so let me know how you feel about it! I've been thinking about this idea for a long time and am so excited to start writing it. Just to let you know ahead of time, I'm gonna be horrible at updating this thing. With school starting my chapters are probably going to be really spaced out. I'm going to shoot for an update once a week, but no promises. Anyway, all characters are credited to Stephenie Meyer. Thanks guys!

Just a little DISCLAIMER:

I know absolutely nothing about medical stuff. Everything I know is from watching Grey's Anatomy and Scrubs, which isn't saying much. Most of the doctor talk in this story I was too lazy to really research. There isn't a lot of medical stuff in this story, but if I get something wrong I apologize in advance. If you happen to be a doctor reading this story and wonder _man is this girl brain damaged or something? _I'm sorry. As far as I know there's no brain damage but I may have been dropped once or twice, who knows :P Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this! Enjoy!

**Bad Apples**

Chapter One

As I sat in the bland cafeteria, surrounded by depressed, tense strangers, I tried desperately to enjoy my short lunch break, but sadness hung thick in the air and made it hard to breathe. It was like a humidity that didn't make your hair frizz. I won't lie, the wobbly plastic chair and dry salad wasn't really helping my mood either.

Since it was such a hopeless attempt anyway (I really needed to start bringing my own lunches…) I picked up my plastic tray and weaved my way through tables, dumping my trash in the garbage. Once I set the tray in it's rightful place, I walked out of the cafeteria door and headed toward the elevators.

While I waited to hear the ding, I looked around and absorbed my surroundings. Absently I wondered what it was about this place that made me come back every day. It wasn't like the white walls and plastic floors made it a dream to work in. No it was what happened inside these walls that made it so amazing. Right now I'm only a resident, but I've seen doctors perform miracles in this place and that's always what keeps me coming back for more.

Hospitals are intimidating on the outside. They stand tall and loom over everything, making them more like a mad scientist's fortress. Just looking at one produces an uncomfortable feeling in your chest, as if staring at the façade will instantly bring bad luck. Fortunately for me I had to get over this at an early age. As someone with a serious case of clubfeet and clumsiness, I was perpetually being brought to the hospital for all sorts of injuries. Scraped knees, broken arms, twisted ankles, bruised tailbones, concussions—I've had it all. The staff even began to know my name. My dad used to joke and say he was going to rent me a room, so I could just live there.

Eventually, after visiting so often, I began to look past the bad and see the good things that happened. There are a lot of horrible and tragic stories that take place in hospitals, I can't deny it. But there are also a lot of medical miracles too. Deciding to be a doctor was a colossal commitment, but I know I did the right thing. Telling someone they're cured and can go home always makes it worth the fight.

Now I just have to get through my residency, if I don't die of exhaustion first. But I suppose I'm in the right place for dying.

The elevator doors opened and I made my way over to the third floor receptionist, Angela. I leaned my belly against the edge of the counter and placed the palms of my hands on the flat surface. "Anything new since I left?"

Angela looked up from the computer and smirked at me "Nope, but Mike asked where you were. He seemed _really_ concerned."

The last sentenced oozed a sarcasm that made me laugh. "HA! So sorry I missed _that_ conversation. I'll be sure to go running to him," I said, making sure to lay my sarcasm on just as thick. "But first I'm going to go on my rounds."

Angela laughed and said, "Okay," before I turned around and headed down the hallway, shaking my head. When was that boy gonna give it up? He's another resident and had acted all sweet and flirty when I first arrived at this hospital. Of course, I fell for it. I agreed to go out with him and at the end of the date he let his freak flag fly. We were both standing on my stoop saying goodnight when he stuck his tongue down my throat and tried to beg me to let him come upstairs. Once he tried using every pickup line in the book, I laughed and told him that he didn't stand a fucking chance. He's been asking me out every week since without fail. Thankfully Mike knew better than to keep up the cutesy act, which makes it so much more fun to turn him down each time.

It had been a good four days since Mike last asked me out and judging by Angela's warning, he was gearing up for another one. I tried not to think about it too much as I made my rounds and focused on my patients. The rest of the day passed the same way with me ducking into closets whenever Mike got too close. When there was a lull at around eight I went down to the eighth floor pediatrics to see my friend Jessica and to visit some of the children. That always helped my mood.

When my shift ended at ten, I grabbed my purse and coat from the locker room and headed out in to the cool night air. It was springtime, but in downtown Chicago April still meant wearing a coat, especially at night. With my hands in my pockets, I walked the several blocks home until I was standing in front of my apartment building. Slowly I climbed the steps and pushed through the revolving door until the warm air from inside came rushing and enveloped my whole body, making me shiver with pleasure.

"Why hello Miss Swan!" It was Roger, the building's security guard, sitting behind his desk looking at me with a beaming smile. I loved Roger. He was the nicest man and I talked with him often. His voice was very warm and jolly, like it originated in his belly and floated out of his mouth like laughter. "What are you doing walking home alone so late? I keep telling you to get a cab!"

"I know, I know. But I never want to spend the money on a smelly old cab. Plus, it was such a nice night! If it makes you feel better, I have my phone on me and I always keep my keys in between my fingers," on this last part I lifted my right fist out of my coat pocket and held it up as evidence. The pointy ends of three keys were jutting out from the crevice of my fingers and went up towards the ceiling.

Roger shook his head at me, but was smiling. "Doesn't really make me feel better, but I'm sure you could show 'em who's boss!," he said with a slight giggle.

I slowly made my way to the elevator, but the front side of my body still faced Roger. With both fists held up in front of me, I swung a couple punches through the air. "You bet I will!" The silver doors closed in front of me and the last thing I heard was Roger's laughter. I pushed the button for my floor and patiently waited for my arrival. Once the elevator opened I slowly walked down the corridor while simultaneously playing with my keys, trying to find the one to my apartment. When I undid the lock, I turned the knob and cracked the door open a couple of inches, knowing what was waiting for me directly on the other side.

A black and tan nose shoved itself through the opening. I could only make out the snout and one eyeball, but my dog definitely looked happy to see me. The way his whole body was slightly shaking told me he was wiggling his tail like mad. I moved one leg in front of the gap so he wouldn't come storming out into the hall and opened the door the rest of the way. When he saw me coming through, he quickly turned around and grabbed the first toy he could get his mouth on and brought it back to me. I took my coat off and hung it on the wall hook, along with my keys, and then popped a squat down on the floor to pet him. "Hey Roady buddy! What's goin' on?! You got a toy for me hunny? Thank you!" I always made sure to talk to him an octave higher than my normal speaking voice in that annoying way pet owners do.

I scratched him everywhere and he walked around in slow little circles to make it easier for me. When I dropped my hands and asked if he wanted to go out, Roady perked up his ears and instantly dropped the toy like it was on fire. I grabbed his leash and my coat (I don't know why I bother taking it off anymore) and hooked him up. Soon we were on our way, but I made sure to slip a note under Alice's door on or way out thanking her for feeding my guy. Alice was my neighbor across the hall and my best friend. I met her my first day moving in to this apartment complex when she came bursting through the door, bossing my movers around and redecorating my apartment. We've been inseparable ever since. My job can have me working weird hours and since Alice is a stylist that doesn't work past six, she helps me look after Roady sometimes.

My four-legged partner in crime was one big ball of energy. He kept a steady trot slightly ahead of me as we walked through the lobby and out the door. Roger gave me a stern look with one eyebrow raised and in response I took hold of Roady with one hand and held up my key fist with the other. "We'll just be around the corner!" Roger didn't even have time to argue though. I was out the door before he could stop me.

Once we were outside, Roady was even more energetic than before. He weaved back and forth on the sidewalk, sniffing plants and peeing on random things. Since no one was around, I kept the leash loose to let him do whatever he wanted. Well, unless he starts eating poop again. Then I'd rein him back in… Hey, it's happened before.

The park that we always went to was just a square block that had a small jungle gym with grassy patches and a few trees surrounding it. It was a little haven smack dab in the middle of tall skyscrapers and unfriendly modernism. Luckily it was only two blocks up and over from my apartment, so we got there in a couple of minutes.

Immediately I scanned the area for any people and saw a group of three guys lurking around the playground. Crap. It's happened before. People come and go, but my experiences have taught me that time was directly related to how creepy the people were. The later the hour, the more drunks and homeless people the park attracted. Considering it was now eleven, I wasn't too thrilled to see a group of grown dudes hanging around a children's playground. My strategy was to just keep my key fist on the ready and stay quiet. Roady would do his business and then we would leave.

I was sticking to my plan, letting Roady sniff around and find the right bathroom spot when one of the guys spotted me. "Hey nice lab! What's his name?!" He was yelling but I pretended not to hear him.

One of his friends used the back of his hand and smacked him in the chest "Shut up dude. It's the middle of the night, she doesn't want a freak like you yelling at her."

I hid a smirk. They didn't seem like drunken hobos, but I didn't want to chance anything. I was staying put.

It remained quiet for a while after that and Roady just kept sniffing around, in his own little doggie world. The three guys talked amongst themselves and then eventually decided to leave. Walking in a loose line, they headed towards the opposite corner of the park forcing them to cross paths directly in front of me. I kept my eyes averted, but never actually stopped looking at them. The closer they got the more details I could make out. They all looked Native American, and tall! Before they had been sitting, but now I felt like a midget in comparison. The tallest one was walking in the middle and I couldn't look away. In the darkness his hair was a deep raven black that was pulled back in to a small bun at the nape of his neck. Underneath the bun, the ends of his hair dipped beneath the hairband and fanned out like a bird's tail feathers. His skin was a golden tan and he had really nice bone structure. A strong jaw line and high cheekbones brought attention to his lovely brown eyes and full muted raspberry colored lips. The bright street lamps beamed down, making harsh shadows but I could tell mystery man was wearing dark wash jeans, a plain white t-shirt, and a dark brown leather jacket that complimented his hair nicely. Damnit who_ was_ this guy?

My eyes remained averted the whole time, even when they walked by me. I gave a polite smile in their general direction, but nothing more. Unfortunately Roady had different ideas. He was so friendly and believed that people were put on the planet to play with him, so naturally when some new strangers came near he became the greeting committee. He tried to approach, but I kept a firm grip on his leash. I thought we would be home free once they turned the corner and were out of sight, but Roady didn't let up. We played tug of war for a brief moment until Roady won and went running after them.

"Fuck! ROADY YOU GET BACK HERE NOW!" What had gotten over him?! He never did this! By the time I processed what was happening, Roady was already rounding the corner. I went running after him, screaming his name the whole way.

When I was finally heading down the block, I could see my tall mystery man was crouched down with Roady sitting directly in front of him. He was smiling, rubbing his ears while Roady eagerly wagged his tail like a dufus. I had come to a dead stop a few yards away to take in the scene in front of me, but now I was just rolling my eyes and shaking my head. With a large sigh I swallowed my pride and went to retrieve my goofy dog.

Once I was a few steps away, the dreamy stranger stood up and took hold of Roady's leash. His other two friends saw me approach and moseyed a little ways down the sidewalk out of earshot. Meanwhile, my damn dog was sitting quietly giving his new friend googly eyes. Oh, _now_ he was being good…

I stopped a few feet away with a big sigh and a sheepish expression. God he was so freaking tall! A good head and half that forced me to tilt my head all the way back. "Sorry! He's never done that before. I don't know what came over him."

With a side grin, mystery man handed me the leash and said, "That's ok, dogs like me. Besides, it gave me an excuse to talk to you."

I rolled my eyes and let out a puff of laughter. Suddenly his friends' distance made a lot more sense. "Wow that's quite the line. And if you weren't a complete stranger that I met in the middle of the night on a deserted sidewalk, it might have worked."

He laughed "Alright you have a point. But I can't be all bad. I mean if I were really a creeper I would hold your dog hostage in exchange for your phone number."

"You are really not helping your case here." Was this guy for real?

"Well can I at least walk you home? Try and do something gentlemanly to balance out the creepiness?"

"What so you can find out where I live?" I laughed. My mind was telling me that letting him walk me home was a really bad plan, but every other part of me was screaming to say yes. There was something warm and friendly about this guy that made me giddy.

"Fine have it your way. Just an offer," he said raising his eyebrows and lifting his hands so his palms were facing me. He held that pose and started taking a few steps backward when I finally gave in.

"Fine!" The moment I said it a wide triumphant smile spread across his face and I couldn't help but smile back at him. "But you should know that my security guard Roger is waiting for me, so don't get any ideas." I pointed my finger at him for extra emphasis.

He had lowered his hands to his sides and started to approach me again when he responded, "Wow you have your own security guard? Impressive."

I smiled and pointed back towards the park, "I live over in that direction if you want to start walking." Silently we started moving forward. Holding on to Roady's, leash I was on the inside of the sidewalk while Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome walked on the outside. "And he's actually not my personal security guard. He works at my apartment complex, but I figured it was pretty much the same."

He let out a small laugh and gave me sideways glance, "Oh I see how it is. All bark and no bite."

"Hey don't underestimate my man Roger. He'll bite if you push him too much."

We both laughed and then it stayed silent for a brief moment. "So, what's your name? I should probably know it in case I need to call the cops later," I said sarcastically.

He rolled his eyes. "Jacob Black. My friends and I are mechanics at the garage a few blocks down. We were working late and decided to stop at the park on the way home. Good thing too, otherwise your dog would have been a goner," he smirked. I gave him a returning smile. "And what would your name be?" he tacked on at the end.

"Isabella Swan, but everyone calls me Bella. I work at the hospital as a resident."

"Oh damn, so it's Dr. Bella."

"Well, not yet. But soon, hopefully."

"So if I threw up or fainted or something right now, you'd be able to cure me?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "I'd definitely be able to help, but blowing chow in front of me wouldn't really help the creep factor you were trying to amend."

He laughed. "Touché."

By now we were nearing my apartment building, so I was going to try and wind down the conversation when he beat me to the punch. "So Dr. Bella, would you be interested in going out with me sometime?"

I blanched. I hadn't expected him to ask me out like that. Everything in me wanted to say yes, but I knew it wasn't a good idea for me right now. "I'm really sorry, but I think I'm going to have to say no." My eyes drifted sideways at him to catch his reaction and I could tell he was disappointed, but trying to hide it.

"Ah, ok," was all he said.

By now we had arrived, so I stopped walking, stepped up one step on the stoop, and turned to face him. He looked so bummed I had to try and fix it. Try and explain it somehow. "No, no it's not you. Really. I just…" I trailed off as I struggled. Goddamn, how do I explain my fucked up life in a few short words?

It was obvious he thought I was full of shit. "It's fine don't worry about it."

"No I want to." I looked down at Roady, who was sitting lazily at Jacob's feet staring goofy eyed at the two of us, trying to think of what to say. "The short and sweet version is that my parents just got divorced. Dad cheated on my mom and it fucked me up pretty bad. More than I like to admit…" I paused nervously, no knowing what to say. "There, I probably scared you off. Goal accomplished." God, I was nervous-laughing like a moron. What was wrong with me?

He looked at me seriously for a moment and then said "Naw, I get it. Probably the last thing on your mind right now is dating. My mom died when I was sixteen, so I sort of know what you're talking about. At least with the bad timing part."

I looked away from his face and down at my feet. Ugh, I felt awful. Here I was babbling about my daddy issues while Jacob had to deal with his mother's _death_. Yes my problem was shitty, but at least my parents were alive and well. I was at a loss for what to say. Apparently he sensed my self-loathing because he started talking before I could.

"Just remember that all of us men aren't assholes. Don't let one bad apple spoil the bunch," he said with a small smile.

It almost made me watery eyed. I don't know how he knew, but that was the exact problem (among the many others) I had been struggling with lately. Returning his small smile, I stood there staring at him for a moment. The light was better here and not as orange as the street lamps, so I belatedly realized he wasn't as tan as I thought. That wasn't saying much though because he was still pretty damn tan, like coffee with a lot of creamer in it. His dark brown eyes were kind and met my gaze with a steady one of his own.

Without thinking, I went for it.

Slowly I leaned my head in, parted my lips slightly, and gently touched mine to his. For a second he froze in shock, but then leaned into it a little and placed his hands gently on my hips. We stood there kissing soft and slow for a few moments and I never wanted it to end. His lips were so nice, it was the best kiss I had ever had. About a million times better than Mike shit-for-brains back at the hospital.

I pulled away from him and stood there staring, not knowing what to say. Belatedly I realized how weird it was to kiss a stranger you met five minutes ago and was instantly embarrassed. My cheeks warmed and I knew they were a deep pink that gave me away. Before he could say anything or ask what the hell was wrong with me I smiled and simply said, "If I change my mind, you'll be the first to know."

Jacob just stood there giving me a dazed smirk and watched as Roady and I walked up the rest of the steps to the door. I was smiling like a fool and had major butterflies buzzing around in my stomach. As I walked by Roger he gave me a shocked stare with both of his eyebrows raised. All I could muster was a giggle in return and pushed the up button for the elevator. While I stood there waiting for the doors to open, I chanced a glance to the side to see if Jacob was still there and saw him walking away, smiling and shaking his head.

By the time I reached my apartment and got inside, the kissing buzz had worn off. I took off my coat and hung it on the hook by the door along with my keys. Then I unhooked Roady and put his leash on the small table that sat on the other side of the entrance. Roady moseyed over to the couch and jumped up, lying down in a little white, furry ball. I stood there, staring at my apartment, feeling empty. Briefly I considered eating something, but I wasn't hungry and food sounded awful right now. So instead, I just went to my room to go to bed.

I was deep in thought while I walked around my room, changing in to my pajamas and brushing my teeth. The mention of my parent's divorce made me depressed. Tears silently ran down my cheeks as I thought of my miserable future—splitting up holidays and meeting new stepparents. After hawking up my toothpaste in the sink and rinsing my mouth out, I stared at my watery face in the mirror and wondered how the hell had I gotten here. Why was my parent's divorce affecting me so much? Was this normal? Witnessing my mother's heartbreak was the worst thing I had ever gone through. My mom was always a strong woman, but my respect for her tripled after this whole experience. I had gone through breakups before, but nothing will hurt more than when I found out my father was cheating. My entire outlook on marriage and relationships was forever changed. Sometimes I was so angry with him I thought steam would pop out of my ears.

With a heavy sigh I wiped the tears from my cheeks, even though they still continued fall, and walked over to my bed. I climbed under my covers and settled on my left side, curling in to a little ball. _Stop it,_ I ordered myself. _Stop thinking about it._ Instead I forced myself to replay the events of this evening, imagining that kiss over and over again in mind. Within minutes I was fast asleep, dreaming about my tall mystery man.


	2. Chapter 2

Holy crap can you believe Thanksgiving just happened?! Time is flying by! So much has happened since the first chapter. I was in school, got in my first car accident, was sick, lived through midterms and finals, had a turkey food baby, but I made it out alive! Hey remember that last author's note where I promised to update every week? HA! Yeah that didn't happen. But I'm finally out of school–a real college graduate. I'm thinking I'll have more time on my hands now, so hopefully I'll be better at updating this. Anyway, you know the drill. Let me know what you think and review!

Chapter Two

~Three Months Later~

"No!"

"YES! Come on Bella, it'll be good for you. You're depressed and it's starting to affect the way you live your life! Getting out will help you stop focusing on your parents and get you out of this funk!"

I was so frustrated my whole face felt like it was a giant fireball. Right now Alice was standing between my TV and coffee table, gesticulating wildly as she tried to sway me to her side of the argument. I was facing her in the middle of the room, right behind my couch, with my hands on my hips and my brows furrowed together in a hard line. Even though two pieces of furniture separated us, I seriously considered leaping towards her little body and taking her down.

With a loud huff I said, "Ali I get it. Truly I do. There's no denying that I've been depressed and I appreciate that you're worried about me because I'd be worried about you if the tables were turned. But I seriously doubt a blind date will help get me out of my funk." I held up my hands and made invisible quotations around the word funk, just for effect. "I'm not ready to start dating yet. I have serious trust issues right now and the last thing I want to do is to take it out on some poor schmuck who doesn't deserve it."

Her face softened a little. She knew everything that was going on in my life. Nobody understood how I felt more than she did. But I wasn't her. Going out on a date wasn't going to fix anything and I had been trying to convince her of that for the past half hour. And if I was being completely honest, part of me was just trying to get out of having an Alice-dresses-Bella-up-in-ridiculous-date-clothes power hour. By the look on her face, she was finally starting to get it.

Alice looked off to the side for a moment, gathering her thoughts. When she looked back at me her eyebrows were still a little stern from her previous anger, but her eyes were big and shining with vulnerability. It caught me off guard and I found myself relaxing my rigid frame under her intense gaze. "I'm just scared Izzy. I don't know anything about depression, nor do I know how to fix it. I thought maybe if I gave you some time you'd snap out of it, but it's only gotten worse since the engagement." I unconsciously flinched at the mention of my father's recent marriage announcement, but Ali pretended not to notice and kept talking. "I'm grasping at straws here. I keep trying to plan fun things, hoping they'll bring back the old Bella. I mean, Jesus, I haven't actually seen you happy since that random guy you kissed in the middle of the night. I don't know what to do anymore!"

By the time she was done talking a couple of silent tears rolled down her face, which triggered my own eyes to start stinging. She called me Izzy. Alice only called me Izzy when she was saying something really important or breaking bad news. I had no idea she felt like this and it made me feel terrible. It was enough that this divorce was bringing me down, but I didn't want it to start affecting her too.

I took a couple steps forward, but the couch stopped my progress and I leaned against it slightly when I felt my thighs hit the back. Without really thinking about it I held out my hands, palms up, as if I were trying to give her something that wasn't there. "I had no idea you felt like that Ali, why didn't you say anything?" She was silent and just shrugged her shoulders in response. "I'm so sorry. I've never been more confused in my life and I never meant to take it out on you. You're my best friend and I'm so glad because I never would have made it through this fucked up situation without you. But the last thing I ever wanted was to bring you down with me." My little speech had started strong, but by the end I started crying pretty heavily and my voice broke like a pubescent boy's.

Alice came around the coffee table to the back of the couch and gave me a big hug. Her little head rested on my chest right above my boobs and I gently placed my cheek on top of her short pixie hair. Normally I would make a titty joke, but somehow this didn't really seem like an appropriate time…

"You haven't brought me down. I'm just worried about you because I love you so much. Sometimes I feel guilty that I can't fix it for you."

"I love you too. And it's not up to you to fix it Ali-cat, it has to come from me. Never feel guilty for something so out of your control."

We were silent, reveling in the embrace for a few long moments and letting it sink in that we were there for each other until the very end. So obviously, I chose that moment to be the comedian. "I don't have to go out on the date now do I?" I asked, smiling into her hair.

She reacted exactly the way I thought she would. "Ugh, Isabella Swan you are impossible," and with that she pushed me away and started heading towards my front door. Without stopping or turning to face me she added, "No you don't, but don't think this is over. I've got plans for you if you don't start making an effort." And she was gone, while I was left standing there staring after her. Just when I was about to turn my attention elsewhere, her little head popped out from the side of the frame and she yelled, "Big plans! HUGE! MONSTEROUS!" Then she vanished, but I could hear her mad scientist evil laugh all the way down the hall.

"Well then…" I said, smirking to myself, not quite knowing what to do with that dramatic display. I looked over at my canine companion to see what his thoughts were on the situation. It was hard to tell with the communication barrier and all, but something told me he wasn't too concerned. I think it was the way he slept on his back with his legs floating carelessly in the air, snoring like a freight train. But it was just a hunch.

I turned my head over my right shoulder to glance at the clock on the microwave, discovering it was 11:27am. Time to get ready for work. In my bedroom, I chose jeans and a t-shirt at random knowing I would just change in to scrubs once I got there anyway. Before I headed out, I grabbed my purse and keys and rubbed my dog's belly to tell him goodbye. Then I was on my way, walking the short distance to the hospital.

As I strolled through the building, greeting doormen and receptionists, I noticed it wasn't too busy. After working in a hospital for a while you pretty much see it all, so slow was definitely a good thing. My day was looking up. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all. Lately I had been starting to dread coming to work, not because I hated it, but because it tended to make my depression worse. I would start off sad at home, and then come to a place that was filled with suffering. Not exactly a mood lifter.

The doors opened up to my floor and I waved at my friend Angela as I walked by. After stashing all of my stuff in my locker and changing into my dull blue uniform, I went straight to work. I visited all of my patients, listened to their complaints, checked on their progress and even got to send a couple of them home. When the sun started to set I finally realized that I worked straight through lunch and hadn't even noticed.

Once it got dark, word got out that the ER was turning chaotic. When it got too bad down there, doctors always tried to let the other floors know because patients from the emergency room would get transferred to other departments, depending on their problem. The warning was needed so room and food preparations could be made. Apparently there was a pretty bad car accident that had created a rush. By nine, patients started trickling on to our floor, making things a little more hectic and I loved it. These were the times I liked most, especially now with all my personal crap going on. I was in my prime. There wasn't any time to think about my own issues, heartaches, responsibilities, etc. I only had time to make decisions and bark orders—no second-guessing allowed.

I was running around like a woman possessed, and I say possessed because most of the nurses were giving me weird looks, some even seemed a little afraid. Hey, fine with me. That just meant stuff got done quicker. Actually I probably wouldn't have even noticed if it hadn't been for Tammy. We were in Mrs. Renaldo's room and I was asking her questions about what had happened when she mentioned a bruise on her left thigh was really sore. Without even really thinking about it, I told the small, blonde nurse to go get some ice and she flinched at me. For a moment I actually looked around to see what had startled her. When I finally realized it was me, a wave of guilt swept across my chest and I tacked on a pathetic "please," to the end of my order. Tammy avoided eye contact and raced out of the room, probably elated to get away from me. I know I still looked guilty when I turned back to my patient, but I ignored it and kept her talking. "So go through the accident for me and tell me how you got banged up. It'll help diagnose your injuries."

Mrs. Renaldo glanced away from me, staring at the wall directly in front of her bed. It was obvious that she was lost in thought, recalling the chronology of the accident and she started talking without looking at me. "Well, late this afternoon I noticed that my check engine light came on in my car and I wanted to get it looked at as soon as possible since I don't know the first thing about them. I took it to that garage by Bellevue and State Street. The mechanics said they would look at it but that it might take a few hours, so I decided to walk around a little and maybe get some lunch. As I came out of the garage, there was a line of cars stopped outside waiting at a stop sign. No one was coming, so I started walking behind the back of the last vehicle. On State Street a little ways up, there was someone waiting in the turning lane. Apparently the car behind them didn't notice because they came speeding down, noticed the stopped car in front of them, and swerved towards Bellevue heading straight toward me. I didn't really notice what was going on until it was too late." She started getting watery eyed and I noticed that her hands were shaking when she went to wipe a tear away. I walked a step closer to Mrs. Renaldo's bed and sat on the edge, placing my free left hand on top of hers. With a deep breath she continued her story. "I guess one of the mechanics saw the whole thing from where he was standing inside of the garage. He ran at me and pushed me out of the way with his body, getting hit with the oncoming car. When he got hit he flipped up to the top, then the back, and landed in the road behind the speeder. And the car that hit him rear-ended one of the people waiting at the stop sign, causing a few more accidents down the line."

Holy crap, what a story. What the hell do you say to a story like that? There was a heavy silence in the room once Mrs. Renaldo stopped talking. She was still glancing at the wall in front of her, staring off into the distance while I searched for something to say. Absently I shook my head. "Wow," I said lamely.

"Yes. I owe that boy my life."

I glanced down at my charts, not knowing how to respond. "So when you were standing and the speeding car was coming towards you, what direction was your body facing? Were you facing it head on with your back to the stop sign?"

"Yes. That's when I froze in shock."

"Ok, and what side did the gentlemen make impact? Right of left?"

"He hit my right side and then I fell on my left."

"Ahhh Ok, that explains why most of the damage is on your left side. But you definitely got lucky Mrs. Renaldo. You only have a few bruises and scrapes. We're going to keep you here overnight just as a precaution to make sure everything is all right. Then you can go home tomorrow," I smiled. This was always my favorite part.

"Oh thank you so much doctor," she looked at me appreciatively and squeezed my hand. "Will I be able to get up and move around? I would really like to go and visit the man who saved me."

"What a nice gesture!" I said pleasantly surprised. "I don't see why you can't walk around as long as you feel up to it and let the nurses know ahead of time. But I will ask that you hold up on that, just until I speak with him and find out what's wrong." She looked a tad disappointed so I added, "It shouldn't take too long. When I'm done you'll be the first to know."

Mrs. Renaldo smiled at me again. "Thank you."

"No problem! And Tammy should be back soon with some ice and medicine for that leg." I got up off her bed and started walking out the door, automatically maneuvering my way around while I read her charts. As I walked down the hall, I started making notes about the story Mrs. Renaldo had told me; her wounds, medicines she should take, and that she would probably be able to go home the next day. I knew these halls better than I knew myself and found my next patient's room without even looking up from my work. When I entered, I could hear the bustle of a couple nurses taking his temperature, cleaning injuries, and so on. I had just started to flip Mrs. Renaldo's charts closed when he spoke.

"Bella." He sounded shocked and amused. Hearing my informal name immediately made me jerk my head up instinctively. I froze.

Without thinking, I immediately blurted out "Jake?!" The nurses gave me an odd look, probably wondering if I had snuck in the supply closet to pop some pills, but it was hard for me to care. I was too stunned to see him. Man, you kiss _one _stranger expecting to never see him again and then he goes and saves someone from a speeding car. I mean, what are the freakin' chances?! What was this, Casablanca? Of all the hospitals, in all the towns, in all the world, he gets rolled into mine.

Finally, after a beat of awkward silence, I realized that my face what contorted in to a shocked "say what?" expression and I tried to smooth it out into something more normal. In a more subdued, professional tone of voice I asked, "You're the one who saved Mrs. Renaldo?"

"Yeah. But if I had known getting hit by a car would get me to you I would have laid in the street a long time ago."

I couldn't hold back the smile that spread across my face. Man, he never quit. But I was suddenly very aware of the two nurses in the room, witnessing this little exchange. Their curious glances were tightly wrapped around me, so I tried to go back to business. With a couple of nervous glances around the room I said, "Well, to get a better grasp on your injuries I'm going to have to ask you a few questions."

He understood what I was trying to do and didn't make any funny retorts. Simply said, "All right doc, hit me."

I took a couple steps towards the chair in back right corner of the room and pulled it over so it was sitting right next to the bed facing Jake. After taking a seat, I opened his chart and skimmed over them. "So Mrs. Renaldo said that you pushed her away from an oncoming car and it hit you instead. Can you tell me what happened?"

He was all seriousness now, the amusement from earlier gone. His eyes were looking straight at me, but they were seeing something else. "She had come into the garage because her check engine light came one. Wasn't anything serious, just needed the basic oil change and tune up. I told her we would call in a few hours when it was done. When she walked away I kind of stopped paying attention and went back to fixing one of the cars. A couple of minutes later I happened to glance up and saw her crossing the street with a car zooming towards her. There wasn't really time to think and I just acted out of instinct. Pushed her out of the way and got hit with the car myself. When it hit me, I bounced off the top a couple times and landed in the street."

When he was done talking, his eyes lit back up as he refocused on reality again. He continued looking at me, waiting for a response that I didn't have. I was so amazed by him that I was having trouble finding the right words. At least, words that wouldn't completely give me away. I decided to play it safe and stay professional. "I know that you broke your right leg and that must be hurting a lot, but where else is the pain?"

With a puff of humorless laughter he replied, "Everywhere." Then he considered my question seriously for a moment before he gave me a real answer. "I'd say that most of the pain is around my ribs."

"Hmm that's what I thought. Any nausea or fatigue at all?"

"Actually yes, now that you mention it."

"Ok Mr. Black." I remembered without even looking at the chart. He raised his eyebrows at the formal name, but I gave him my don't-mess-with-me-right-now look. "We're going to have to run a few tests and take some x-rays to find out more, but you have some pretty serious injuries. A major concussion, broken leg, some shattered finger bones, and a few broken ribs. You're going to be staying with us for a while. Tonight we're going to give you something for the pain and then tomorrow we'll take some x-rays to find out all of the damage. Once we know what's wrong, we'll start putting you back together again." He just nodded his head in my general direction, taking everything in. I turned my head towards the two nurses and asked, "Can both get me some morphine and more bandages please?" They gave their answer by leaving the room, leaving Jake and I alone.

When I turned back to him he was giving me an amused look. "Mr. Black?"

"Hey I'm your doctor. I have to be a little professional here."

"I can't believe you're my doctor," he said shaking his head in disbelief.

"I can't believe you're my patient! When I walked into the room and saw you I almost fell over," I said smiling. There was something I really wanted to say, but I was having a hard time finding a way to say it that didn't make me sound like a weird fan girl. While I thought, I leaned back in my chair and looked down at my hands, suddenly turning shy. "What you did for Mrs. Renaldo," I paused, unable to think of the appropriate word. "What you did was amazing. And I know she's going to be forever grateful for it." I looked up at him and we shared a significant, silent gaze that seemed to acknowledge all of the things we weren't saying.

I started to get lost in that gaze, thinking about how things might have turned out if I had said yes to a date or given him my number. And I was thinking about how much I wanted to kiss him again. That's when he broke the silence. "You never called."

It took me a moment to snap out of it. I had to remember basic things like where I was and my name before I finally got out, "What?"

"You never called me."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh come on. Don't play dumb I'm not an idiot."

"Well, it's pretty easy to play dumb when you don't know what the other person is saying." Why was he suddenly mad? What was going on? I thought we were having a moment! "We never exchanged phone numbers."

"No I know. But I left my number with that guy in your building. I kept waiting for your call, but it never came." He started smiling despite himself. "After that kiss I thought a call from you was sure thing."

I had to go over what he said in my head before the pieces started coming together. That guy in my building… did he mean… "Do you mean Roger? My doorman? Did you leave your number with him?"

"Yeah didn't he tell you? I came by the next day asking about you, but you were working, so I left him my number."

"Damn he never told me. I'm sorry. He's never done that before."

"So you didn't call because you couldn't?" When I nodded my head yes he smiled. "I knew you couldn't resist all this."

I laughed and rolled my eyes. "Hold on there cowboy. I'm your doctor now and there are rules against that sort of thing."

"Shit. So I can't even ask you out or anything?"

I started laughing again. "No. Not that you could really get out of bed anyway."

"This is true." He looked deflated, which I stupidly thought was cute. "What if I promised you a date for after I bust out of here?"

With a smile I said, "I think we could do that. But in the mean time I'm only allowed to be your doctor. No funny business!" At the end of the sentence I started pointing my finger at him just to emphasize my point.

"Deal!" he agreed with a huge grin.

I got up from my chair and started heaving it back into the corner of the room. When it was in it's rightful place, I walked back to the edge of the bed. "Ok I have to look after my other patients. Rob and Abby will be back soon with some medicine that should knock out the pain until tomorrow when we can get those x-rays done."

"Sounds good," he said. When I started walking towards the door he called, "what no kiss to hold me over?"

When I got to the door, I placed my left hand on the frame and turned half my body to look back at him. I smiled and said "Nope. Just gonna have to wait." Then I walked away to go finish my shift for the night and I could have sworn I heard him groan from the inside.

I couldn't stop smiling. After walking out of the room, I quickly stopped to see Mrs. Renaldo and let her know she was free to visit Jake before I went back to work. The whole time a goofy grin that I couldn't quite shake was stretched across my face. I even giggled once. While I was rummaging around the supply closet for more medicine and bandages Mike managed to trap me in a corner. He made very poor attempts at flirting before I giggled right in his faced and ran out of the room. When I got to the door, I chanced a look back at him and was pleased to see that he was frozen in confusion and looked completely dumbfounded–not that the expression was unusual on his face.

After work I walked home with a new spring in my step. Everything around me seemed brighter than it did before. I started noticing things like the pleasant weather and the bright stars overhead, usually marred by the intense city lights. When the stoop to my building finally came into view, my mood started to slowly shift. The closer I got to my building, and Roger, the crankier I got. By the time I actually reached the entrance, I was stomping up the steps and violently throwing the door open, giving Roger a look of worry and concern. I marched straight to his desk, slapped my hands on the granite desktop, and said "I have a bone to pick with you."

He looked frazzled. I could see him racking his brain for anything that might have set me off, but all he replied was, "You do?"

"Yes. I got some very interesting information today. You know, there was a serious car accident on Bellevue and State Street that brought in a lot of patients. Funny enough, one of them was a Mr. Jacob Black who I had the pleasure of meeting a few months ago. Ring any bells?" The last sentence was low and flat and I raised my eyebrows at him, waiting for his reaction.

Roger was blank faced at first. He looked confused and glanced off to the side as he tried to put the puzzle together. Finally, a few minutes later, I saw his eyes go wide and his body stiffen. He looked back at me and said, "Ohhhh Jacob Black the mechanic."

I gave him a fake smile "Yes, the very one. Imagine my surprise when he asked me why I hadn't called after he left his number with you."

He looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry Ms. Swan."

After seeing his expression, I dropped the ice queen act and went with whiney instead, even going so far as stomping my foot. "Roger! Why didn't you give me his number? I really liked him."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I was just worried about you! The night you met him, it was late and meeting some random guy on the street sounded fishy. I didn't want you to get hurt by some punk! So when he came by and dropped off his number, I didn't give it to you because I thought I was keeping you safe. But it's your life and I should have respected that and given you the information. You're an independent woman who can make her own decisions." He wouldn't make eye contact with me and kept his gaze fixed on the phone that was tucked under the desktop, a little off to my left.

His speech melted my heart and I instantly forgave him. "I appreciate you trying to protect me, but I can handle myself. Your going to have to trust that I'm old enough to make my own decisions. Pretty soon I'm going to have to start calling you dad!" I laughed at my own joke, making his head jerk up in surprise.

He smiled back at me and stood up, coming around the desk to give me a hug. "I don't think that will be necessary," he giggled.

We embraced and then as I moseyed over to the elevator I said, "All right, but give me my shit from now on!" We both laughed. "Good night Roger!"

The elevator opened and I climbed in, pushing the button to my floor. My good mood was restored after my little chat. He was only trying to protect me, which I could understand. As my doorman it was a little weird, but as my friend it wasn't, so I just let it slide. When the elevator doors opened, I walked down the hall with a renewed spring in my step. But before I could go into my own apartment I knocked on the door across the hall. No response. Where was she? I knew she was home. I tried again with little more force. "Alice you're gonna wanna open this door! SERIOUSLY! Do I have a story to tell you."


End file.
